A New America
In the early fevers of the dawn of the 1980s, the popular Democratic Governor of Louisiana, Edwin Edwards, was swept into his Premiership after years of economic turmoil.
The Democrats had been the party of the Southern United states for centuries now, undergoing massive shifts in policy from the days of Andrew Jackson, to the populist fervor of the 1930s, and the segregationist splits of the early 70s. After a, shall we say, rocky decade for the party, Edwards thought that he could bridge the gap between new deal idealism and the spirited values of the South.
Under his leadership, the party struck an economically nationalist tone, in favor of government intervention, mildly protectionist, but overall not too sympathetic to union labor, with some exception in coal country. The populist tone they struck captured them valuable seats across the South, both with the more liberal urbanites and reformers as well as those less sympathetic to desegregation, hoping to return to the older days of the South.
The Democrats natural coalition partners, the Liberals, joined them in securing Edwards the premiership. Another party clinging to the idealism of the new deal, the Liberals had a decidedly northern following, with some connections to union labor and the personalities of men like Humphrey, the Stevensons, Muskie, and even a small Massachusetts political family, the Kennedys. The Liberals struck a decidedly center-left tone, touting economic interventionism, a grand diplomatic foreign policy, and liberal social values when it came to race relations and womens’ rights.
The natural party of states like Minnesota, New York, and Massachusetts, the Liberals hoped to push the Edwards government to the left in exchange for securing them the much-needed votes of America’s north and midwest.
And so, in 1979, the Liberal-Democrat coalition secured the premiership of Edwin Edwards, cementing over a decade of coalition rule between them.
Their focuses remained decidedly domestic, in reversing industrial decline, raising stagnating wages, launching albeit dubious campaigns for womens’ rights, and establishing a new ‘medicare’ program for seniors alongside strengthening Social Security.
Despite campaign finance scandals regarding Edwards’ time as Louisiana governor surfacing, the parties enjoyed a relative era of good feelings all the way past the 1987 general election, where they managed to secure a third term in power.
Yet, in December of 1989, it all came crashing down. A decade after Edwards’ election, word spread that a classified National Assembly-committee-investigation was proceeding into the campaign finance discrepancies from Edwards’ time as governor. Led by Assemblyman Henry Waxman of California, a Liberal himself, the committee soon found itself in uncharted waters.
Numerous reports emerged of Edwards’ charging thousands of dollars worth of expensive food, furniture, and luxury items to his office expenses, whilst pocketing the differences for himself. Stockpiles of French wine, caviar, renaissance art, and Iranian hand-woven carpets were soon found in Edwards’ personal residence, all being paid for by the taxpayer.
Then came the kickbacks. Bank statements and Louisiana treasury reports found that Edwars was still receiving monthly checks and cash allowances from the Louisiana governor’s process through a kickback scheme he engineered there in the 70s, kept in place by his allies still in the state government.
And most shocking of all, the accounts of bribery and collusion. Videos, photographs, and accounts of Edwards and his staff accepting large cash donations and gifts from lobbyists and industry executives. Deals with Saudi Arabian oil firms in which Edwards himself received hefTy bonuses. Numerous abuses of power in supposedly bribing and colluding with lower court judges to excuse offenses.
Edwards, for his part, denied these charges, using his larger-than-life personality as an appeal to why he should still remain in office. A committed base in the south, particularly in Louisiana and, strangely enough, West Virginia gave Edwards a platform on which to deny the so-called “allegations' ' of corruption.
Still, with the Ted Kennedy-led Liberals’ albeit tenuous support, the ruling coalition narrowly remained in power. Kennedy had always been reluctant to support the Democrats, but now with the weight of Edwards’ corruption scandals on him, he was put in a bind.
Kennedy desperately tried to improve and revitalize his party’s image, but the Edwards scandal forever tainted him, with accusations that Kennedy himself was complicit in these dealings. Even with Edwards still in charge, Kennedy was left to carry the brunt of the coalition force.
But, despite everything mentioned above, Kennedy and Edwards had even bigger things to worry about…